McKinley High - 10 Year Reunion
by bellejoy81
Summary: The story of most of the original cast as they return for their 10 year reunion. Lots of ships, angst, fluff and a bit of smut. My first fic, so give me a chance :)


**McKinley High - 10 Year Reunion**

It had been a long time since Rachel had been back to Lima. That was on purpose. It didn't feel like home anymore, and she didn't see the point in pushing it. There were memories there that she was happy to avoid. Now here she was, standing at the airport, ticket in hand about to attend her 10 year reunion. Everyone would be there. She wasn't sure which parts of her return she was dreading more.

Rachel found her seat on the plane and settled herself in for the short trip. Just enough time to have a quick nap before the emotional onslaught that was waiting for her. As she closed her eyes she remembered back to her last days at McKinley, everyone was so sure that they would keep seeing each other, that they would all remain relevant in each other's lives. How wrong they were. Apart from Kurt and Blaine, no one kept in touch with Rachel at all. She knew that Tina and Mercedes still spent time with Kurt, but they never got together as a group. That was her fault she knew, she'd been so focussed on her career she didn't make any time for relationships, Kurt kept forcing his way in, and by association so did Blaine, but there was nothing other than that.

Letting out a deep sigh when someone sat beside her, Rachel turned her head to face the window. Now that she was heading back to Lima she was worried that all the feelings she has so expertly kept tuck away for the last 10 years would come bubbling to the surface. And she just wasn't sure how she was going to cope with that. Leaning forward she pulled out the copy of her yearbook she'd brought with her, slowly the sound of "Photograph" by Nickelback started to bubble out of her and fill the cabin.

_"Look at this photograph, Every time I do it makes me laugh_

_We used to listen to the radio  
And sing along with every song we know  
We said someday we'd find out how it feels  
To sing to more than just the steering wheel_

_I miss that town  
I miss the faces  
You can't erase  
You can't replace it  
I miss it now  
I can't believe it  
So hard to stay  
Too hard to leave it_

If I could I relive those days  
I know the one thing that would never change"

There were plenty of memories coming.

Finn paced up and down the hallway of McKinley. He'd spent his whole life here it seemed. After his failed attempt to leave Lima he'd ended up becoming a teacher and he's always felt there was no better school to teach at than the one he'd grown up in. He'd been teaching football, and glee, and working at Hummel's tyres in his spare time. No matter how hard he tried, he was a small town guy, he felt comfort there, and he'd realised a few years ago, he'll always be there. He was quite content with that. Now that everyone was coming back though, with their big stories of big adventures he couldn't help but feel small. Small and insignificant. Hanging onto dreams that had refused to die, hoping things that could never really happen. Trying to stifle the progress of life by remaining where he had always been. It seemed more than ridiculous now, and he was very worried that it was seem that way to everyone else as well. Apart from the fact that it was his responsibility as a teacher, but also because he wanted to prove he could do great things, he had jumped at the chance to the coordinator of the 10 year reunion celebrations, and he was both nervous and excited as his old friends slowly started coming back to town.

Rachel went straight to the Lima Bean where she was meant to be meeting Kurt and Blaine. Her parents had moved out to New York to be closer to her years ago, so she had no family left in town. Kurt has kindly offered for her to stay with him and Blaine at the Hummel-Hudson household, and to start with Rachel was unsure, but in the end he convinced her, as Finn has a place of his own now, they should be able to ensure they didn't run into him outside of the reunion festivities. But of course, she didn't want to just show up on their door step, so they'd agreed to meet her at the café.

"Well, there she is, isn't she a sight for sore eyes" called out Kurt across the café.

"Kurt, you'll embarrass her" Blaine said quietly

Rachel looked up from the paper she was flicking through and a smile broke out across her face. There were two people she could never get tired of seeing. Kurt, so tall and handsome, with his shining open face, perpetually welcoming and Blaine, smaller but just as handsome looking at her sympathetically, always the more sensitive one of the two.

She jumped up and moved across the café to fold them both in a hug.

"Thank goodness you guys are here, I was very close to jumping back on a plane and going back to New York, even in the few hours that I've been here this small town has been suffocating me!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Rachel honey, we're only here for a short time, and it's going to be fabulous!" Kurt did a little twirl

Blaine rolled his eyes and put his arm around Rachel's shoulders, "I wouldn't worry about it, everyone will have their fears, except Kurt maybe *eye roll* but we'll all be here, together, it really will be fabulous"

"I hope so. I'm nervous to see Finn, he was so broken the last time we spoke to each other, and it seems conceited but I've done so well over the last ten years, I'm not sure I could cope if I found out that he hasn't"

Kurt grabbed Rachel around the waist and started leading her out of the Lima Bean "Well my dear, the only way to find that out… is to find out!"

Under protest Rachel let him lead her out of the café while Blaine, smiling and shaking his head, followed behind pulling Rachel's suitcase.

Looking in the mirror it was almost hard to believe that the Quinn looking back was the same determined girl who had left Lima all those years ago. The Quinn looking back was brunette, dowdy and far from her teenage dreams. She was almost embarrassed to go back to Lima for the reunion, but she had promised Puck that she would go. And even after all these years, she still couldn't let him down. Sighing, she pulled the skin on her face taut to try and see if there was any resemblance left of the young girl that used to reside in her body. All she saw was a stretched version of her current depressed self.

"Quinn" called her husband from downstairs, "Quinn, the kids are calling after you, I don't know what they want"

With an even deeper sigh, Quinn took one last look around the bedroom at her unfinished packing then slowly exited the room.

Entering the Hummel-Hudson household was like stepping into a time machine. Bad family photos both pre and post wedding were strewn about the place, each one with a smiling boy in the shot. There were photos of Kurt and Blaine's wedding, their pets, them at Christmas, them on vacation, in fact the main room was full of all of Kurt and Blaine's memories but it was eerily empty of Finn past age 18.

Rachel set her bag down in the hall and was slowly walking around the room, gently fingering each and every memory.

"It's amazing how quickly everyone grows up" came a deep growling voice from the doorway.

Smiling Rachel turned around to give Burt Hummel an energetic embrace.

"Hey kiddo, you look amazing, New York is good for you" he commented.

"Thanks Mr Hummel, I really love being there, it's like food for the soul, it really completes me," giving him a sideways glance she finishes, "its interesting being back in Lima."

"I can only imagine that's true" laughs the large man in reply "Where's my boy? I thought he was bringing you here?"

"Oh yes, well, he got side tracked in the driveway, I'm sure he'll be inside in a minute"

With that they heard giggling as a flushed face Kurt barrelled through the doorway.

"Woah there! Watch what you're doing kid!" admonished Burt

"Sorry Dad, there is something about being home that turns me into a teenager again. Makes me all giddy" Kurt said laughing

"Yeah, you're a teenager again, and I'm left dragging in the suitcases," mumbled Blaine as he entered.

"Aww, don't be all pouty. It's cute when you're doing manly things. I enjoy it!" Kurt winked at Blaine who was stuggling to get all the bags through the doorway.

"I'm glad someone's enjoying it!" laughed Blaine; he really couldn't stay mad at Kurt too long.

"Let me help you with those Son," Burt offered expertly lifting the cases into the room.

"So Rachel, back in the old neighbourhood, any more real for you than when we were in the café?" Blaine asked gently.

"Well, it's interesting being back in this house, with all the memories everywhere. All these photographs of you boys, it's almost like a shrine!" she exclaimed.

Burt laughed "What's a proud Dad to do?"

"Are you looking forward to the reunion festivities?' he asked

"I am!" trilled Kurt, flinging his arm up in the air fabulously. "I can't wait to see everyone, and sing, and dance, and generally have an amazing time! It was a lifetime ago since I've seen some of these people"

"Are you not concerned about what they might think of who you've become?" asked Rachel.

Blaine frowned and put his arm around her shoulders "What are you talking about? Anything we were was so long ago, who knows what everyone is like now? We're all different, and we are certainly more different than we were when we were 17. I don't think anyone will be in a place to judge" and he gave her a brotherly squeeze.

"And anyway," said Kurt evilly, "once we see what everyone else has been up to, we can come home and judge them in private!"

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes at him.


End file.
